Chapter 5 #2
Now I’m panicking. I wasn’t even thinking about that. But if Briggs is evil enough to take my house, he’s evil enough to tell the cops I’m responsible for the hit-and-run.
“Ella?”
I look up and see Ms. Higgins standing next to me, holding out the exam.
“Sorry.” I take it from her.
Reading the first question, my mind suddenly goes blank. I take a deep breath and force myself to focus on the test and forget about Briggs. I’ll deal with him later.
After a few more deep breaths, I’m able to think again and jot down the answer to the first question.
The rest of the answers come easily, and I finish the test before anyone else.
When class ends, I glance back at Briggs and see him looking at me.
He gives me a smug grin, which tells me he did well on the test, or thinks he did.
It doesn’t matter. I’m still way ahead of him.
There’s no way he could catch up to me or pass me to be number one in the class.
But it won’t matter if I end up in jail.
Maybe I should try to talk to Briggs and get on his good side. He played me to get what he wants. Maybe I should do the same to him. I could tell him I’m considering giving him the valedictorian title. I wouldn’t actually do it, but if I told him I might, would it keep him from going against me?
During my next class, I text Briggs. Meet me behind the bleachers at noon.
He doesn’t text back.
It’s important, I text.
I get nothing back. Maybe he’s already decided to tell the cops I’m responsible for the hit-and-run. He wouldn’t have to convince Finn and Parker to go along with it. They’d love to see me go to jail.
How do I stop this? I know Briggs felt something for me when we were together. Not all of it was fake. If I could just get him to feel something for me again, maybe I could get him on my side, or at least keep him from telling the cops some made-up story that lands me in jail.
Just before noon, I go out behind the bleachers and wait. I’m sure he won’t show up, but just in case he did, I wanted to be here.
Five minutes pass, then ten. After fifteen minutes, I decide to head back. I knew he wouldn’t show up. This was a waste of time.
“What do you want?” a deep voice yells.
I look back and see Briggs walking toward me across the field, big and tall, with a confidence only Briggs can pull off.
The way he keeps his shoulders back, the even pace of his stride, the intense look on his face, it’s like the energy shifts, and he’s this powerful force taking over whatever space he enters.
It used to intimidate me, even scare me a little, but I never let him see that.
It feels different being around him now that I’ve seen another side of him. Even if some of it was an act, I still think Briggs has a good side. I just need to find it again.
“I wanted to talk,” I say, walking up to him.
“Not here.” He grabs my hand and pulls me behind the bleachers.
I feel a flutter in my chest when he touches my hand. I still feel it as he lets me go. I hate that he makes my body react like this. I shouldn’t feel anything for him after everything he’s done.
“Hurry up,” he demands, staring down at me, his arms folded over his chest. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want to know if you got any more texts.”
“Why do you care? You’re not even getting them. Obviously whoever’s doing this is leaving you out of it, which makes me wonder if you’re somehow involved.”
“Are you serious?” I huff. “I was standing right next to you when you got one of the texts.”
“I didn’t say you were doing this alone.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah. I have a whole team working with me on this.”
“Maybe you do. You’re always hanging out with the tech geeks.”
“Only to help find out who’s doing this. I can’t believe you’re accusing me of sending the texts!”
This isn’t going like I thought it would. I’m supposed to be getting him on my side, and instead, we’re fighting.
Briggs stares at me, his eyes narrowed, not saying anything.
“I didn’t do it,” I say. “I’m not the one sending the texts.”
“Prove it.”
“I can’t.”
“Then why would I believe you?”
“Because you know I wouldn’t do that.” I step closer to him, looking him in the eye. “Briggs, I promise you, it’s not me. After all the time we spent together, all the talks we had, you know I’m not someone who would do that and lie about it, especially to you.”
He doesn’t say anything. He just looks back at me with that serious expression that’s been on his face since he got here.
“Briggs, I—”
“Why is it different for me?”
“What?” I say, not sure what he means.
“Why should I believe you when you won’t believe me?”
I keep quiet and wait for him to explain.
“You want me to believe you’re not the one sending the texts but you don’t have any proof, so why would I believe you?”
“Because I told you it wasn’t me.”
“Just like I told you I didn’t tell my father to go to the city to get your house torn down. I told you over and over I didn’t do it and you still won’t believe me. How is that any different than me not believing you when you say you’re not the person sending the texts?”
I look down at the ground. He’s right. It’s not any different. It just feels different because now I’m the one being accused of something I didn’t do.
“Was that it?” he says. “I can’t stay. I need to meet with Coach about tonight’s game.”
I forgot he has a game tonight, the first one of the season. If I weren’t so angry at him, I might actually go. I’d like to see him play.
“You’re right,” I say, looking up at him.
“I can’t expect you to believe me if I don’t believe you.
That’s actually the reason I asked you to meet with me.
” I pause. “I can’t prove you told your dad to go to the city to get my house torn down.
You told me you didn’t do it and I . . . ” I take a breath. “I believe you.”
“You don’t sound very convinced.”
“Because I’m still not sure I can trust you. I thought I could, but then you started threatening me again, demanding I get a bad grade on today’s test.”
“Let me guess. You got every question right.”
I stand up straighter. “I can’t say for sure, but yeah, there’s a good chance I got a perfect score.”
“Good for you,” he says, sarcastically. “I need to go.” He turns to leave.
“Briggs, wait!” I hold on to his arm.
He turns back. “What?”
“Did you get another text or not? Just tell me. I know I’m not getting the texts, but I’m still part of this. I need to know what’s going on.”
“We got a couple. The first one came the other day. Said we had to eat lunch with someone we’d normally pick on.”
“That’s why you had lunch with Oliver.”
“Yeah, but Finn and Parker wouldn’t do it. We got another text saying they get one more chance to do what they’re told or it’s over. He’ll send the video to the cops.”
“Oh my God.” I start pacing back and forth. “It could happen any day now! We could be in jail by next week!”
“That’s not gonna happen. I’ll get Finn and Parker to do whatever’s next.”
“How?” I stop pacing and turn to Briggs. “They haven’t listened to you before.”
“They will now. I’ll deal with them. Don’t be getting all freaked out about this. People will notice and it’ll make you look guilty.”
“What difference does it make? I’m going to be arrested anyway when Finn and Parker refuse to do what they’re told.” I feel like my chest is closing in, like I can’t breathe.
“Ella.” Briggs puts his hands on my shoulders and looks in my eyes. “Relax. It’ll all work out.”
I feel my chest begin to open, freeing up enough for me to breathe again. How does Briggs do that? How does he make me believe everything will be okay when it won’t? It can’t. If our fate is in the hands of Finn and Parker, we’re screwed.
“I have to go,” Briggs says, stepping back.
“Good luck with the game tonight.”
“Thanks.” He smiles, just a slight smile, but it’s genuine, not fake. It’s the smile I used to see on the Briggs I was falling for, the one I really miss and wish I could be with again.
“Briggs?” I race up to him as he’s leaving.
“What?”
“Is there, um . . . any chance we could be friends again?”
He’s silent, his eyes on mine. I feel that connection between us, the one we had when we were together, and I’m certain he’s going to tell me yes.
“No,” he says, then he walks off.
No? That’s it? I don’t even get a reason why? So much for getting on his good side. We kind of made up, but not really.
I don’t know what this means. Can I trust that he won’t turn against me? Or did talking to him only make things worse?
Talking to Briggs was supposed to make me feel better, but now I’m panicking even more than before. That video is going to be sent to the police. I know it is, but then what? What are the guys going to tell the cops? What are they going to say about me?
I need Briggs to tell me, but he won’t. Finn and Parker won’t either.
I’m on my own. It’s up to me to save myself. I just have to figure out how.